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11TuesdayFebruary112014HayRiverNTMarch7-92014.RegisterbyMarch1TeamsandvolunteerspleasecontactJasonat867875-7720emailpolarpondhockeygmail.com.www.polarpondhockey.comRegistrationis300team.Earlybirdrateof250teamifregisteredbeforeFebruary26.TlichotakefedstocourtoversuperboardissuePoliticsFirstNationsByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheTlichoGovernmentistakinglegalactionagainstthefederalgovernmentoveritslegislationthatbothimple-mentsdevolutionandmakeschangestotheNWTsreg-ulatorysystemeliminatingtheregionallandandwaterboardsestablishedthroughlandclaims.WhiletheTlichohavesaidtheysupportthesec-tionofdevolutionBillC-15thatallowsforthetransferofauthorityoverlandswaterandresourcestotheterrito-rialgovernmenttheyopposetheinclusionofamendmentstotheMackenzieValleyResourceManagementActMVRMAthatwouldseethelocalWekeezhiiLandandWaterBoarddismantledinfavourofoneterritorialsuperboard.ThoughofcialswiththeTlichoGovernmentdidnotwishtocommentonthecaseTlichoGrandChiefEddieErasmusexpressedhisdeepdisappointmenttothefed-eralcommitteeathearingsonBillC-15inYellowknifeonJan.27.Thiswaywendabal-ancebetweentheinterestofCanadaandtheinterestofTlichoinpreservingourwayoflife.Wehaveanequalsayaboutdevelopmentthatcouldprofoundlyaffectourwayoflife.Howitworkshesaid.Hesaidittook13yearstonegotiatetheTlicholandclaimandself-governmentagreementcentraltowhichwastheco-managementpromisedbythecreationofWekeezhiiandthattheboardhasbeenpraisedbytheAuditorGeneralofCanadaforbeingmoreefcientthananyotherboardintheNWT.TheTlichoLandandWaterBoardhasbeenahugesuccesshereintheNorth.Ithasapproveddevelop-mentthathasdoneagreatjoboftakingintoaccounttheTlichowayoflife.InfacttheWekeezhiiLandandWaterBoardhasneverturneddowndevelopmentproposalsBetteryetbe-causeweareinvolvedintheprocessasequalsnoneofthedecisionsmadebytheboardhaveeverbeenlegallychallenged.ThewaytheboardisbeingeliminatedErasmussaidiscolonial.BillC-15becomeslawandTlichonolongerhaveequaldecision-makersbe-causeoftheuseoflandandwaterinWekeezhii.InfactdecisionsaboutdevelopmentintheheartofourterritoryWekeezhiiwillbemadewithnoTlichoinputwhat-soever.Thisisdevastatingtoourabilitytoprotectourwayoflife.Ourvoiceisbeingsilenced.Itiscontrarytoouragreementandtheconstitu-tionalpromisesthatwewillbejointdecision-makersabouttheuseoflandandwatersinWekeezhii.Wecannotandwillnotletthishappen.NWTPremierBobMcLeodwouldnotsayifthecourtcasecouldaffectdevo-lutionmovingforwardasofApr.1ashedidnotwanttocommentonanythingthatiscurrentlybeforethecourts.OfcialswiththefederalgovernmentdidnotrespondtorequestsforcommentasofpresstimeMondaybutanonlineMythsandFactssheetonBillC-15arguesthattheNWTregulatorysystemdoesindeedrequiremod-ernizationdespiteclaimsthatitisneasitis.ThecurrentregulatoryprocessesintheNorthwestTerritoriesarecomplexcostlyunpredictableandtimecon-sumingstatesthedocument.ItstatesthatconsultationonthechangeshasbeenongoingwiththeterritorysAboriginalgovernmentsforyearsandthatthechangeswillnotweakenenvironmen-talprotectionintheNorth.Theproposedamendmentswillnotchangetheexistingenvironmentalassessmentprocess.Ratherthechangeswillstrengthenenvironmen-talstewardshipbyprovidingregulatorswithmodernen-forcementandcompliancetoolsthedocumentstates.Ourvoiceisbeingsilenced.Itiscontrarytoouragreementandtheconstitutionalpromisesthatwewillbejointdecision-makersabouttheuseoflandandwatersinWekeezhii.TlichoGrandChiefEddieErasmusTlichoGrandChiefEddieErasmusPhotocourtesyofTlichoGovernment